ray Columbus and the invaders inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame

Just an week and a half ago NZ 60's rock group Ray Columbus and the Invaders who are remembered for the song "She's A Mod" in 1964 were inducted in the NZ Music Hall Of Fame which they truly deserve it for the impact they did for NZ rock'n'roll and it was long overdue which the surviving members ray Columbus, Billy Kristian and Dave Russell were inducted by fellow 60's rocker from NZ Dinah Lee and modern NZ rock The Mint Chicks Performed "She's A Mod" @ the Music awards. It's a Long way from when they began as The Downbeats in 1959 in Christchurch,New Zealand when ray columbus joined them as a vocalist and line-up changes occured which Dave Russell and Brian Ringrose joined them and they had an huge following in Christchurch which the clubs they played at were hosts to the american servicemen who were stationed @ operation DeepFreeze and the style and music had an major influence on the group. in 1961 the group changed it name to ray and the drifters and then in 1962 Ray Columbus hosted his own TV show called Club Columbus and few more line changes occured when brian ringrose left which he was replaced by wally scott and mac jamieson left which he was replaced by Puni solomon and also that year the group changed it's name to ray columbus and the Invaders. it was around that time in 1962 was when the late Howard Morrison who saw the group performed at the Plainsmen club in Christchurch and saw the potential in the group which he told them to go to auckland. they took the place by storm which they played at the Monaco, the Orential, the shiralee and the bali hi and Jimmy Hill replaced Peter Ward as drummer when peter decided to get married. they began recording for the Zodiac label and in April 1963 releasedtheir first single "Money Lover"/So In Love" written by ray columbus and dave russell. their had 3 more singles "Kupow,I Saw Her Standing there and I wanna Be Your Man and kupow got most airplay in sydney and alos puni solomon left which he was temporaily replaced by yuk Harrison and Billy Kristian who played with Max Merritt and the Meteors since 1959 joined. Their 1st album Every Nite was released in november 1963 and in that month went to sydney which they played at Surf City top teenage venue in Sydney at that time and ray did the promotional rounds and appeared on pop shows like SIng SIng Sing and Bandstand. the invaders version of I Wanna Be Your Man did well on the Australian top 40 which no one had not heard of the rolling stones at that time and by February 1964 went back to Auckland as another single called On My Mind was released. In May, they recorded "she's a Mod" which was a cover version of a song that had been recorded by an UK group from Birmingham called the senators which featured john Bonham future member of Led Zeppelin with Poison Ivy as the B-side and it did'nt attract much in New Zealand at that time as the Beatles were touring there which it could have faded if the group had not returned to sydney. the group played an show @ the 2UE Theatre which then sydney went mod crazy and She's A Mod hit no 1 in Australia for 8 weeks and no 1 in Nz and did an Australian tour which was promoted by Harry M Miller which the support act were Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs who were at Number 1 with Poison Ivy and also toured with the Searchers, Del shannon,Eden Kane,Peter and Gordon and Dinah Lee. After the tour, the group recorded in Sydney @ Phillips studio which they recorded Yo Yo/She's Gone and it was a Top 40 hit in australia and number 1 in New Zealand. In early 1965, ray and the Invaders toured Australia with the Rolling Stones,Roy Orbison and the Newbeats and released singles "now You Shake" and the cruel sea. they did an tour with the Dave Clark Five and it was that time that Ray and the Invaders were trying to crack the US market but were rejected by the consul and in July released till we kissed aka Where Have You Been whcih it was number 1 hit in New Zealand and top 10 in australia which it won the very first Loxene golden disk Award. By the end of the year reay columbus and the invaders broke up. ray went on to a solo career as well as managemnet including modern group ZED and as well as the business side, dave played with ray brown and the new whispers and max merritt and the meteors from 1970-74, produced an album for split enz, and lives in Melbourne, Billy Kristian played with Max Merritt from 1965-67 and played with other bands including Head Band and still plays music today, wally scott passed on in 1980 and Jimmy Hill played with max Merritt & the Meteors from 1965-66, the Layabouts and Headband and passed away in 2000 from heart problems. I saw ray columbus 7 years ago on Tuesday September 10th 2002 at the Long Way To the Top concert and he was very good doing til we kissed and she's a mod and just last year he suffered an stroke but is back to good health now. Well done ray and the invaders for the induction which they deserve it and I hope they get inducted into the ARIA HAll Of Fame one day and also there is a new greatest hits that is just out in New Zealand called the Defenitive Collection. i also hope ray columbus comes back to australia one day to play shows and that would be great.